Keener break could propel Jaxer to victory

ELMONT, N.Y. – If Jaxer can get away from the gate better, he could have a chance to post a mild upset in Friday’s New York-bred second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claiming feature scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park.

A stakes-winning 2-year-old of 2025, Jaxer broke poorly in both the Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes at Saratoga in August, when he finished third, and in this same condition on opening day at Belmont, where he finished 11th.

In the Cab Calloway, Jaxer broke inward, hit the side of the gate, bumped with the horse to his inside and stumbled, leaving him about 13 lengths behind in what was his first start in nine months. He made a wide rally and finished third behind Chummers and A Little At First.

In his race at Belmont, Jaxer bobbled slightly, but then pressed a strong pace before retreating.

“He was definitely compromised when he ran at Saratoga. It took him completely out of the race,” Motion said. “The other day, he overcompensated when he stumbled. I would just like to see him come away from there cleanly.”

Toward that end, Motion said he popped Jaxer out of the gate during training hours Tuesday.

There is rain in the forecast Thursday into Friday that could potentially move this race to the Tapeta. Motion would be fine with that.

“He breezes great on the synthetic,” said Motion, who has breezed Jaxer on the Tapeta track at Fair Hill. “The two turns on Tapeta might actually suit him.”

Jaxer is owned by Head of Plains Partners, which also sends out Coach Ryan, who is likely the favorite in this spot for trainer Chad Brown. Coach Ryan, like Jaxer a son of Slumber, has won two of his last three starts and was behind Caroline St. Beat in a first-level statebred allowance on Aug. 29. Caroline St. Beat came out of the race to win the $1.7 million Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs.

A Little At First has been a beaten favorite in four consecutive starts, twice in this condition. He did finish five lengths in front of Jaxer in the Cab Calloway and has been second and third in his last two starts.

“Last time, A Little At First got caught wide going a mile and an eighth,” trainer Horacio De Paz said. “A loose horse engaged him and he jumped into the bit a little. He lost a lot of ground and it didn’t set up for him. [A horse] who had a better trip ended up winning.”

De Paz also sends out English Castle, who figures to be part of the pace along with Terminal Velocity.

“He’s obviously very forward, he’s very fresh right now,” De Paz said. “He’s a free-running horse, we’ll see what the other horse does, because he’s not a horse you can take back and sit of off horses. He’s very forward.”

Gimme a Nother to return

Gimme a Nother, runner-up to Kathynmarissa in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, is expected to remain in training for 2027, trainer Graham Motion said Wednesday.

“They’re inclined to keep her in training at least through the spring,” said Motion, who trains Gimme a Nother for Jessica Slack Jell’s Newstead Stables. “Right now, that’s the plan. She came out of the race great. She was relatively lightly raced this year.”

Prior to the three-quarter-length defeat in the Breeders’ Cup, Gimme a Nother won her three previous starts in 2026, including the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine.

Motion said it is possible that Gimme a Nother could run at the end of January at Gulfstream in one of the two Pegasus turf races. Motion said the 1 1/8 miles of the Pegasus Turf against males may be more suitable than the Filly and Mare Turf at 1 1/16 miles.

As of Wednesday, the purses had not been announced for either race. This year, the Pegasus Turf was $1 million while the Filly and Mare Turf was $500,000.

De Paz eyes open stakes

Sounds Like a Plan and Awesome Czech, who swept the pair of route turf stakes for New York-breds on Oct. 24, are both expected to tackle open company at the end of November, trainer Horacio De Paz said.

Sounds Like a Plan, the 4 1/4-length-winner of the Mohawk Stakes, will be nominated to the Grade 2, $500,000 Man o’ War on Nov. 27, while Awesome Czech, one-length winner of the Ticonderoga, is pointing to the Grade 3, $250,000 Long Island on Nov. 28.

In addition to taking on open company, both horses would be stretching out in distance with Sounds Like a Plan trying 1 1/4 miles for the first time.

“The Man o’ War may come up a little saltier than anticipated but I like the way he handled a mile and an eighth,” De Paz said. “I guess getting the distance depends on if they let him control the pace.”